Articles History and Heritage Sandile and the Frontier Wars
| Sandile and the Frontier Wars |
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Sandile, the Great Chief of Ngqika, King of the amaRharhabe, was born at Burns Hill in 1820, at which time Xhosaland was still independent of the colonial rule. He was the son of Sutu, the Great Wife of Ngqika. Ngqika died in 1829, while Sandile was still quite young, and Maqoma, Sandile’s Right-Hand (kunene) brother acted as Regent until 1872 when Sandile was installed as King. Sandile was born with one leg shorter than the other, which made it difficult for him to walk, but he never the less played the leading role in three Frontier Wars: Wars:
While the War of the Axes was still in progress, Sandile entered the British camp for negotiations but was detained by the British Governor, Sir Harry Smith. Seeing their king imprisoned, the Xhosa made peace only to find the colonialists claimed sovereignty over the whole Xhosaland as far as the Great Kei River. This Sandile could never accept. He said: "The whole of Xhosaland is dotted over with the habitations of the white men and with the surveyors flags. Sandile might die, but it will never be said that he died in peacable times – for it should be known everywhere that he died in the ranks fighting for the land of the amaRharhabe." When the prophet Mlanjeni began to speak shortly thereafter, Sir Harry Smith called Sandile to account. Sandile refused to attend, not wanting to be detained a second time, and Sir Harry Smith ordered him to be deposed. This was the start of the War of Mlanjeni which lasted three years. It was the longest and bloodiest war ever fought on Eastern Cape soil. The amaNgqika were driven out of the Amathole mountains, and Sandile erected his new Great Place (komkhulu) at Bolo. It was during this time that Sandile accepted Tiyo Soga as his missionary, and the settlement at Mgwali was built. The War of Ngcayechibi broke out in 1877 on the other side of the Great Kei river, its causes having nothing to do with the amaRharhabe. But when Sarhili, the King of the amaGcaleka, appealed for assistance, Sandile was ready. Some of the councilors argued that the amaRharhabe should stay out of the war, but Sandile responded as follows: "How can I sit while Rhili fights? If Rhili fights and bursts and is overpowered, then I too am nothing. No longer will I be chief. Where Rhili dies, there will I die, and where he wakes, there will I wake." Sandile died for this solidarity. Even after Sarhili had accepted defeat in the unequal contest, Sandile continued to fight although he knew the cause was lost. He was wounded in the Isidenge Forests in June 1878, shot in the back with a Snider rifle. He died slowly over a number of days, and it was only later on that his body was discovered by colonial forces. It is rumoured that his head was cut off and sent back to England as a souvenir. See also: Sandile's Grave Sandile was a democratic chief. He never took decisions by himself but only after the chiefs and councilors had been consulted. He was totally committed to black solidarity in defence of African land and for that commitment he died as he had lived: a hero. |